


Cowtown

by HandwithQuill



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Smut, Rumbelle Secret Santa 2015
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-20
Packaged: 2018-05-07 23:23:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5474351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HandwithQuill/pseuds/HandwithQuill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rumbelle Secret Santa gift for @winterswanderlust. Her prompt was “modern AU, secret dating”. I hope you like this, I have another fic as well, it should be posted soon.</p><p> </p><p>A/N: Title has almost nothing to do with the fic. For me titles usually form as I write the last few paragraphs. It didn't happen this time. :/</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cowtown

**Author's Note:**

  * For [winterwanderlust](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=winterwanderlust).



Starting in 1926, in a field equal distance from the surrounding towns, there has been “Cowtown”. It started as a livestock auction, but developed into a Flea Market as the years went by. In 2007 the livestock auction closed, but every Tuesday and Saturday, come rain or shine, over 400 vendors from the neighboring towns converged on the field, and the building that had been put up to hold them.

As far back as Belle could remember, she and her mother would spend all day Saturday meandering up and down the aisles, looking at all the wonderful treasures, listening to the vendors call for their attention.

_“Two for Five! Only today, Two for Five!”_

_“One dollar! Everything in this box, One dollar!”_

_“Learn Pottery! First class free! Sign up here!”_

After a day of wandering, they would return to her father's flower booth and help him pack up, the book Belle's mother would have bought her stored safely in the van beforehand.

Many years passed and those happy memories filled Belle's mind as she traversed the aisles once more looking for things to decorate her apartment with. Only three months before she had graduated with the degree necessary to be a librarian, and had come home to take over the Storybrooke Public Library. A small, unfurnished apartment came with the job and she had returned to the flea market to find so inexpensive items to place in it.

She stopped at one of the outdoor stalls. She really shouldn't have, she was here for furniture, but the books on the table were calling to her. She reached out to pick up a beautiful, but old looking leather-bound book. She jerked back, looking up, when her hand collided with someone else.

The man standing next to her was wearing an expensive looking suit. His hair was long, hanging to his shoulders, just starting to gray at the temples and in his other hand, he held a gold-handled cane. He was staring in her eyes and she felt a shiver run down her spine when he smiled.

Belle blinked and cleared her throat as she had never had such an intense attraction to someone.

“Please.” He smiled again and motioned to the book. “Go ahead.”

“Thank you,” she said, picking up the book. Flipping through it, she could feel his eyes on her.

“It looks like a good edition,” he commented. It was. The binding was in great shape, the illustrations still covered by thin sheets of tissue paper. “But I don't think it's really worth ten dollars.”

He haggled the vendor down to four and she smiled at him as she handed over the money.

“Thank you,” she said again, holding out her hand “I'm Belle.”

He transferred his cane to his other hand and shook her hand, bowing his head slightly.

“Russell.”

After paying for the book, she and Russell started walking, examining the different booths and stalls. Around noon, they stopped at one of the food vendors, but by the time Cowtown closed, she still hadn't found anything for her apartment.

“I might be able to help,” he told her as they walked back to their cars. “I know quite a few secondhand shops over in Milford, if you would like me to show you?”

She nodded and they walked to his Cadillac. He showed her around a little, going to a few shops he thought had what she was looking for. One of the shops had a lovely sleigh bed, which he again negotiated down to a reasonable price for her. After arranging for it to be delivered on Monday, they wandered up and down the streets, stopping at a restaurant for dinner. With the sun long since set, he drove her back to her car. As they stood saying goodbye he suddenly leaned in to kiss her.

He pulled away slowly, a slightly shocked look on his face. She stared at him, leaning back against her car as her fingers traced her mouth, which still tingled. It was a short kiss, but she licked her lips to catch his taste.

“I-I'm sorry,” he said, shaking his head. “I'm not usually so bold. I-”

“Neither am I,” she interrupted him and lifted her hand to curl in his hair and bring his lips back to hers.

Sometime later, they broke apart, gasping for air. Meeting his eyes, she nodded and followed him to his house. Once there, they left a trail of clothes up to him bedroom.

She sat on the bed, reaching out to undo his pants, as he used the tip of his cane to remove his socks. Once his pants and boxers fell to the floor, he tilted her head up, kissing her passionately as she scrambled back onto the bed. He followed, breaking the kiss as he moved down her chest, to her stomach and lower.

He waited until she looked at him before his tongue swiped at her. She moaned and arched, pushing this tongue against her again. She covered his hands with hers as he started to pleasure her.

She had been aroused by him all day, so it wasn't too long before she was shuddering and bucking up into his face. She was still gasping for breath, her insides still fluttering, as he crawled back up her body. He kissed her again, thrusting his tongue into her mouth just as his cock thrust into her body.

She screamed, arching as another orgasm ripped through her, locking her ankles at the small of his back, pressing kisses to his shoulder, sure her nails were leaving crescent marks as he pounded into her, each stroke keeping her insides clenching around him. When he grunted, hips shuddering against hers, she turned her head back to him, wondering if her eyes held the same look as his did.

She caressed his back as he slumped on top of her, loving how his weight pressed her down. And when he rolled to the side, she held on and snuggled against him, throwing her leg over his hip. He held her close and pressed a kiss to her head as they fell asleep.

She awoke sometime in the night, her hand traveling up and down his chest. He hummed in pleasure and she let her hand go lower, stroking him into hardness. When his hips started shunting into her grip, she push herself up to straddled him, letting her head fall back as he slid inside. She clenched around him, then placed her hands on his shoulders and started to move. His hands were at her hips, steadying her, but she took one of them and pressed it to her breast. He massaged it, then the other one as he pressed kisses to the side of her wrists.

“Belle,” he gasped and she looked down at him. When their eyes met, she came, jerking against him as he sat up and wrapped his arm around her waist, thrusting up into her. She rested her forehead on his shoulder as she felt the warmth of his release inside her.

“Belle,” he said again, and she turned to him, kissing him as he laid them back down.

When she awoke the next time, the light coming in the window told her it was just past dawn. He was spooned behind her and she arched back into him. She could feel him starting to harden against her ass as his hand moved to cup between her legs. He nuzzled the back of her neck and lifted her leg over his hips, nudging forward to slide into her. She brought her hand up to his hair as they slowly rocked together. Neither was in a hurry so it was sometime before a gently orgasm washed over them both.

After they got out of bed, they went downstairs where he made them breakfast. They were silent as they ate and she wondered what he was thinking. She wondered if it was the same as her, that she wanted to see him again.

“I had a nice time yesterday,” she started, glancing up at him. He smiled.

“I did as well. Would-” he stopped and looked down at his plate, a frown forming on his face before he shook it away. “Would you like to do it again? You didn't get everything you were looking for. We could try Bridgeton.” His face was trying to be nonchalant, but there was a hopeful tone in his voice.

“I'd like that,” she told him reaching out for his hand, “But it doesn't have to be just for that. If you just want to go to dinner or something.”

“Wednesday?” he asked, lifting her hand and pressing a kiss on the back. She nodded and after helping him clean up, left.

As she snuck back into her father's house, she sighed in relief to find he wasn't up yet and hurried up stairs to jump in the shower. When she came back down, her father was humming as he moved about the kitchen.

“Good Morning, Petal!” he greeted her, leaning down to kiss her cheek. “Sleep well? I didn't hear you come in last night.”

“I slept great, Papa.” she told him, turning away so he didn't see her blush and getting a cup of orange juice so he wouldn't offer her any food. “How did the meeting with the investor go?”

“It went great! So great I'm a little scared.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. He said that he'll invest, but he doesn't want to be a part of the running of the store, not directly.”

“What does he want then?”

“For me to let his son be a manager. Instead of sending his son to a business school, he wants him to get a hands-on education of how to run a business.”

“That doesn't sound too bad.”

He shook his head, then a gleam entered it.

“No, and you should meet his son. I'm sure you'd get along.”

“And with that,” she said, standing up. “I'm heading over to the library. See you tonight, Papa.”

She kissed him on the cheek and left. The library was only open for a few hours on Sunday and she spent most of the time rearranging the office the way she wanted it. The rest of the time was spent painting the bedroom of her apartment so that it would be ready for the bed when it arrived the next day. The bed arrived Monday and she spent Tuesday anticipating her date with Russell, a date that ended up with them trying out the bed.

Somehow the months passed as she and Russell grew closer. But she hadn't told her father she was dating anyone yet. It never came up and he was busy with the son of his investor. Which lead to where she was now, standing in her father's kitchen, a week before Christmas, helping him cook dinner for the investor and his son. She tried to keep the grin off her face as her phone pinged that a text message had just been received. She ignored the eyebrow her father had raised and finished chopping the carrots. Dumping them into a pan, she wiped her hands on the apron she tied around her waist and retrieved her phone from where her coat hung on one of the kitchen chairs.

_“I'll miss you tonight, Sweetheart. But only two more days until I have you to myself in the cabin this weekend. ;)”_

She smiled, touching the emoticon with the tip of her finger, remembering the night curled up on her sofa teaching him how to use them. She slipped the phone into the pocket of her dress and returned to the carrots. She had just removed them from the heat when the phone pinged again.

_“I want to watch you as you ride me again.”_

“A blush stole across her cheeks as she shivered, feeling the ghost of Russell’s hands on her hips, feeling him under her and the wonderful sensation of him inside her. She nearly dropped the phone into the pan when it vibrated with the next message.

_“Mostly I can't wait until I have you trembling under me. Thighs pressed to my ears as I taste you again.”_

She barely swallowed the moan that tried to escape her throat at that, her legs pressing together as heat flooded her.

“Something I should know, Petal?” her father asked behind her.

She pressed the button to blank the phone's screen and slipped it back into her pocket, shaking her head once to clear it of any expression.

“No, Papa.”

She turned, smiling at him, and turned her attention back to the stove.

The side dishes were nearly done, and her father was taking the turkey out of the over. She glanced over the table to make sure everything was in place, then taking off the apron she was wearing, she ran upstairs to redo her make-up.

The doorbell rang as she was up there and she heard her father's voice inviting them inside. She slowly came down the stairs, wanting to make a good impression. She saw the son first. He saw her as well and walked over to the bottom of the stairs. She stepped down and hugged him. They had worked together in the shop a few times and she liked him.

But she kept the hug short as to not give her father any ideas. He was still trying his best to be subtle about wanting them to date.

“I'm glad you could make it,” her father was saying. “I've been wanting to introduce you to my daughter for a while now, because, well, you never know!”

Belle rolled her eyes, hoping he wouldn't bring the other man in on trying to set up their children. Then her father stepped to the side and she she saw the other man.

“Belle!” Her father smiled and reached out to her. “Come and meet Russell Gold.”

She stared at Russell in shock, only slightly relieved that his own eyes held the same shock.

“Belle?” her father asked.

“It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss French.” He stepped forward, hand extended. She gave him her hand, biting her lip as he pressed a kiss to the top of it. “Your father has told me so much about you.”

“And you, Mr. Gold.” She took her hand back as he smirked, eyes shooting over to her father's confused look. “Dining rooms this way.”

Her father showed them to the table as she brought out the dishes, and when she sat down she found herself to be seated across from Russell. She was sure it was because this also put her next to Neal, as the grin her father gave her attested. She quietly took a deep breath and held it for a few moments. This dinner just got awkward.

She picked up the yams and passed them to Neal, asking him a question about the changes he suggested to the “Game of Thorns” website. Her father joined the conversation, commenting to Russell things that Neal was doing for the store.

A natural lull in the conversation came and Belle braced herself as her father's eyes darted towards her before he spoke to Neal.

“So, enough about work. I haven't really go to know you yet, Neal. Tell me a little about yourself?”

Neal blinked at him and put down his cup.

“What would you like to know?”

Moe shrugged in a badly nonchalant way. “Are you seeing anyone?”

Belle closed her eyes and let her fork fall to her plate. She opened them again at the silence that settled across the table. Neal had the 'deer-in-headlights' look. Shooting a glance at his own father, who pressed his lips together. Belle could tell it was to keep a smirk off of his face.

“Um, no..?” He cleared his throat. “Not really. At least not right now.”

“Oh?” her father continued, “What would you look for-”

“Papa!” Belle hissed.

“What?” He looked at her, confusing on his face.

“Uh...” Her eyes darted about the table, mind scrambling for a way to change the topic of conversation.

“Could you pass the rolls?” she asked to delay him. She caught Russell's face and her stomach sank at the smirk he let show.

“Do you ride, Miss French?” Russell asked her suddenly. She could feel her cheeks heating, remembering his earlier text. “I ask as I was thinking about purchasing a horse that Mayor Mills is no longer able to keep. He's a magnificent animal and I think you would look amazing riding him.”

His smirk widened and the blush spread to the rest of her face, her legs clenching at the memory of the last time they were together. She quirked an eyebrow at him. If he wanted to play...

“I've never ridden, Mr. Gold” she told him, leaning forward on her elbows. “Maybe you could take me?” She picked up her fork and meeting his eyes, licked the mashed potatoes off the tines. Russell shifted in his chair, eyes going wide.

There was an awkward tension in the air for a moment, until Moe brought up a article that was in the paper that morning. The rest of the meal continued without much awkwardness.

But as they were cleaning away the plates, Moe tried to get Russell and Neal to take some leftovers home.

“Come on, Gold,” she heard her father say as she entered the kitchen. “There is more than me or my Belle could eat. Please, take some. At least some of the turkey. Do you want the thigh or breast?”

“Oh,” Russell said, meeting her gaze, before his eyes slipped down to her chest, licking his lips. “I'm a breast man.”

Her nipples tightened as phantom lips closed around them. She shivered, but glared at him. Luckily for her, Neal came into the kitchen then, holding a glass of wine.

“This is great wine, Moe,” he told them.

“Oh, Belle picked it out.”

They all looked at her, and she waited until Russell took a sip of his own glass.

“Well, I've always preferred an older vintage, there is just so much more to _taste_ with it." She looked at him and licked her lips.

“You okay, Gold?” Moe asked as Russell choked on the sip of wine he had just swallowed.

“Fine, fine,” he gasped out, dabbing at his shirt were a little of the wine had spilled.

“You should probably get that before it sets,” Belle told him. “Bathroom's this way.”

She escorted him down the hall and shut the bathroom door behind them. He was already dabbing at the stain on his shirt as she leaned back against the door. She shifted her hips, the ache he always created in her throbbing pleasantly and she could see his erection from their wordplay, but her father's bathroom wasn't the place. Not completely, anyway.

She pushed off the door and stepped behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist briefly, before slowly lowering them to the top of his thighs.

“Belle?” he questioned, meeting her eyes in the mirror. But she didn't answer. She just pressed her nose against his nape and reached out to cup him. “Belle!”

His hiss of her name had her squeezing him, rubbing her palm along his length in the way she knew he liked. He leaned both hands on the sink and started bucking into her hand. She pressed herself against his back as she worked him, nipping and licking at his nape as she listened for that hitch in his breath that told her how close he was.

“Do you want to come?” she asked.

“Sweetheart,” he gasped.

“That wasn't an answer,” she whispered against his shoulder.

“Please?” he begged.

That was when she let go and stepped back to lean against the door again.

She watched him shudder, head bowed as he tried to get control. If she wasn't already aroused, the look in his eyes when he turned around would have been enough. He reached a hand out to her, but she held up one of her own.

“You're the one who started this game, but you don't get to finish until you're inside me. And I'm not having sex in my father's bathroom.” She took a step forward and pecked him on the lips. “See you at the cabin!”

She quickly stepped back and fled the room and his reaching hands. This weekend was going to be enjoyable.

** ** * ** **

She told her father that she was going to Boston for the weekend to meet with some friends from college and made her way to the cabin. It was pretty far into the woods, but it was still before noon when she got there. She turned off her car and shouldered her bag, bracing for the jaunt from her warm car to the hopefully warm cabin, which the nice stream of smoke coming from the chimney attested to.

She was a step from the door when it opened and she was pulled in. he pushed her against the back of the door and she barely had time to drop her bag before he was kissing her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned his kiss, moaning as his hand wandered over her body. It was when he pulled one of her leg up around his hip that she realized that his hands had been opening her shirt, popping open her bra and sending her panties to the floor.

He had also unzipped his pants and she could feel his erection sliding along her folds. He grasped her other leg so that both were around his waist, his weight pressing her more firmly against the door. He broke the kiss then, and pulled back to look in her eyes. That was when he thrust forward, filling her completely. She gripped his shoulders as he started to pound into her, not letting their eyes stray from each others.

The whine started in the back of her throat and it broke through as her walls clamped down on his cock. He grunted, hips slamming harder into hers, the warmth of his release filling her.

For one moment, they stayed there, before she leaned in to kiss him and gravity took over, tumbling them to the ground. When their breath returned, they laughed and Belle settled on his chest. His hands lightly ran up and down her back and she sighed in contentment.

They stayed there for a few more minutes before the floor became too uncomfortable. They righted their clothes and she took her bag into the bedroom, easing out his gifts and putting them under the tree he had up next to the fireplace. She tried not to look at the packages already under it.

She sat on the couch and took the cup of tea he handed her, cuddling into his side.

Hours later, long after the sun had set, he was nuzzling behind her ear as they lay on the floor in front of the fire. The throw from the back of the couch covered them, and their clothes were scattered around. Russell was spooned behind her, their legs still entangled, and his right hand was on her stomach, his fingers tracing random patterns. She was dozing when he spoke up.

“Belle?”

“Hm?”

“Why did you not want your father to know we are together?”

Her eyes popped open as she tensed. She had hoped that she had hidden it better. He extended his other arm under her to hold her to him, his face still in her hair.

“It’s not just because he's pushing you and Neal at each other?”

“No,” she whispered.

“Then why? It's not-” She felt him tense, his arms tightening around her briefly, before loosening as he started to pull away. “Sweetheart, are you ashamed of being with me?”

“What? No!” She rolled over to face him, her hands going out to pull him back to her. “No! No, no. Please, don't think that! I just- I don't know. I've never felt as strongly about anyone as I do you. It's special and I kinda want to keep it just between us.” 

“I feel that way as well. I love you, Sweetheart.”

“I love you, too, Russell.”

He leaned into kiss her, rolling her under him, but he didn't stop on top of her. He moved to her other side. He broke the kiss and reached under the tree, handing her a small box.

She swallowed. The size of the box indicated only one thing. She pulled off the ribbon and opened the box. The ring inside was beautiful. It was white gold with the sides shaped as leaves to the rose that sat on the top. A rose with a diamond inside.

“I love you, Belle. More then I've ever loved anyone else besides my son. Will you marry me?”

“Yes! Yes! Of course!”

She dove at him, kissing anywhere she could reach until he grasped her shoulders and pushed her back a little. He picked up the box and took the ring out, holding out his hand for hers. She let him slip it on and pull her to lie next to him in front of the fire. She snuggled into him as she watched the light reflecting off the ring.

“So,” he spoke up a few moments later, “How do you want to tell your father?”

** ** * ** **

Many months later, Belle looked out over the dance floor. She spied her father sitting at a table talking to Neal. He had taken the news that they had been dating for months well. A few moments of blinking at them in shock, before he grinned and started teasing them about Belle liking vintage things.

A lot of the guest had left, and DJ was starting to pack up when her husband approached and spoke to him. The DJ nodded and started playing another song as Russell walked over to her, his hand held out. He pulled her out onto the dance floor, tucking her against him as they swayed. She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his neck. He shivered.

“Are you ready to go wife?”

She nodded. His wedding gift was a trip to the T.I.G.E.R Preservation Station. He had booked both tours and she couldn't wait to play with a tiger cub!

She went to say goodbye to her father and as they drove away, they passed Cowtown. She smiled at all the happy memories that place provide


End file.
